There have been OSCARs (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) since 1972, most of them drifting in orbit but some of them equipped with small jets
or rockets to change their orbit. Some OSCARs have failed over the years,
but 3 are still active.

As well as unmanned satellites, the Russian space craft, Mir, had crew
members who were also Radio Amateurs and with permission to use their equipment
when their duties permitted. The ISS (International Space Station) also
often has crew members who are licensed Radio Amateurs.

In a recent experiment called SuitSat1, an old unwanted Russian space suit
was hand launched from the ISS air lock. At a set time after launch, its
Amateur Radio transmitters turned on and transmitted a synthesised voice beacon
message. It also sent data telemetry giving measurements of conditions
inside the suit, including temperature and battery voltage. Its initial
orbit was the same as the ISS. Eventually, after about 100 days, either
the batteries died or the orbit decayed and the suit burned up in earth's
atmosphere.

Radio Amateurs and some schools with an interest in the project logged the
times and messages received and sent them to NASA, who provided certificates for
those accurately reporting the correct words of the beacon.

The synthesised voice message was programmed to give different code words as
it passed over different countries on different days. Although SuitSat1
seemed to be virtually dead after 100 days and with very weak signals, one Radio
Amateur in Canada on day 105 recorded a strong signal 22 second transmission
including the secret word.